U.S. patent number 7,813,913 [Application Number 11/492,380] was granted by the patent office on 2010-10-12 for emulation component for data backup applications.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Storage Appliance Corporation. Invention is credited to Jeffrey Brunet, Yousuf Chowdhary, Ian Collins, Eric Li.
United States Patent |
7,813,913 |
Collins , et al. |
October 12, 2010 |
Emulation component for data backup applications
Abstract
An emulation component for a data backup system is provided. The
emulation component represents a storage device, such as a flash
memory device or a partition of a disk drive, as if it were an
auto-launch device, that will trigger applications to execute
automatically. Accordingly, other computing systems, such as
personal computers, interact with the storage device, through the
emulation component, as if the storage device were the auto-launch
device. Because the emulation component makes this representation,
merely connecting the emulation component between the storage
device and the computing system can cause a backup application
stored on the storage device to automatically execute on the
computing system. A data backup appliance including an emulation
component and a storage device is also provided. The backup system
can also include an interface for connecting another removable
device, such as a disk drive, for storing backup content from the
data source.
Inventors: |
Collins; Ian (Markham,
CA), Li; Eric (Scarborough, CA), Chowdhary;
Yousuf (Maple, CA), Brunet; Jeffrey (Richmond
Hill, CA) |
Assignee: |
Storage Appliance Corporation
(Richmond Hill, CA)
|
Family
ID: |
37911904 |
Appl.
No.: |
11/492,380 |
Filed: |
July 24, 2006 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20070083354 A1 |
Apr 12, 2007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
703/24;
710/62 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F
3/0605 (20130101); G06F 3/0677 (20130101); G06F
11/1451 (20130101); G06F 3/065 (20130101); G06F
3/0632 (20130101); G06F 3/0676 (20130101); G06F
11/1458 (20130101); G06F 11/1461 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G06F
9/455 (20060101); G06F 9/00 (20060101); G06F
13/12 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;703/24-284
;710/5,313,62 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
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WO 00/19294 |
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Apr 2000 |
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WO 01/27768 |
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Apr 2001 |
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WO |
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WO 01/84265 |
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Nov 2001 |
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WO |
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WO 02/18009 |
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Mar 2002 |
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WO |
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WO 02/39231 |
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WO |
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WO 2007/041849 |
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Apr 2007 |
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WO 2007/041850 |
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Apr 2007 |
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WO |
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Primary Examiner: Chaki; Kakali
Assistant Examiner: Havan; Hung
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Gard & Kaslow LLP
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A data backup system comprising: a communication interface for
communication with a data source; a first storage device containing
a backup application configured to run on the data source; a
removable storage device interface for communication with a
removable storage device to store backup data from the data source
to the removable storage device using the backup application when
running on the data source, the removable storage device separate
from the first storage device and external to the data backup
system; and an emulation component in communication between the
first storage device and the communication interface, the emulation
component also in communication between the removable storage
device interface and the communication interface, and the emulation
component also configured to: represent the first storage device as
an auto-launch device type; receive auto-launch device type
commands from the data source addressed to the auto-launch device,
translate the auto-launch device type commands to first storage
device type commands, and send the first storage device type
commands to the first storage device; receive first storage device
type responses from the first storage device, translate the first
storage device type responses into auto-launch device type
responses, and send the auto-launch device type responses to the
data source; receive removable storage device type commands from
the data source, the removable storage device type commands
addressed to the removable storage device in communication with the
removable storage device interface, and send the removable storage
device type commands to the removable storage device via the
removable storage device interface; and receive removable storage
device type responses from the removable storage device via the
removable storage device interface and send the removable storage
device type responses to the data source.
2. The data backup system of claim 1 wherein the communication
interface comprises a USB communication interface.
3. The data backup system of claim 1 wherein the communication
interface comprises a FireWire communication interface.
4. The data backup system of claim 1 wherein the first storage
device comprises a HDD.
5. The data backup system of claim 1 wherein the first storage
device comprises a SD memory card.
6. The data backup system of claim 1 wherein the first storage
device comprises a CF memory card.
7. The data backup system of claim 1 wherein the emulation
component represents the first storage device as a CD drive.
8. The data backup system of claim 1 wherein the emulation
component represents the first storage device as a DVD drive.
9. The data backup system of claim 1 wherein the removable storage
device interface is configured to support a flash memory device
type removable storage device.
10. The data backup system of claim 1 wherein the removable storage
device interface is configured to support an HDD device type
removable storage device.
11. The data backup system of claim 1 wherein the removable storage
device interface is configured to support a removable media type
removable storage device.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 60/725,225 filed on Oct. 12, 2005 and entitled "A
Method, Apparatus and a System for Removable Media Device Emulation
on an External Storage Device via an Emulation Component for the
Purpose of an Electronic Data Backup Appliance," U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 60/814,687 filed on Jun. 19, 2006 and
entitled "Portable Electronic Data Backup Appliance Based on
Integrated Circuit (IC) Memory," and U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 60/817,540 filed on Jun. 30, 2006 and entitled
"Portable Data Backup Appliance for Utilizing a Recordable Media
Burner Device," each of which is incorporated herein by reference
in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of digital
data management and more particularly to a component for data
backup applications that is configured to emulate a media
device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Digital content, represented by digital data files of various file
types, is rapidly replacing other forms of content. Documents,
presentations, photos, movies, and music, for example, are
increasingly produced and stored digitally. A problem for many
individuals and organizations is that digital content, typically
stored on a computer hard drive, can be poorly organized and needs
to be archived to be protected against accidental loss. For
example, digital photo files on a personal computer (PC) are likely
to be found in numerous folders--photos transferred from a digital
camera are stored in one set of folders, photos received as e-mail
attachments are stored in other folders, and photos downloaded from
websites are stored in still other folders.
One approach to archiving digital content is to periodically backup
all of the data files on the computer, preserving the existing
organizational structure. While this technique is effective to
preserve digital content against accidental loss, the technique has
several shortcomings. For one, the resulting copy is no better
organized than the original, so misplaced or disorganized content
remains misplaced or disorganized. Also, backing up all data files
requires substantial memory capacity to copy numerous files that
are otherwise already preserved elsewhere. Application specific
files, for example, originally loaded onto the computer from a
compact disk (CD) are already archived on the CD and therefore do
not need to be backed up.
The necessary storage capacity for a complete backup can be
obtained with writable data storage media, such as hard disk drives
(HDDs), however, these require device installation and software
set-up when first connected to a system. In order to complete these
steps, a user may have to provide information about the existing
system, which the user may not readily know. Also, the user may
have to make decisions regarding the configuration of the device
and the software. The number of steps involved with installation
and set-up, as well as the complexity of some of the steps,
dissuades many users from bothering with backup applications. The
expense of a writable data storage media with enough capacity to
perform a complete backup can also dissuade users from performing
complete backups. Furthermore, some users, having bought and
installed the necessary storage capacity, are dissuaded from
performing frequent backups due to the length of time the system is
tied up during complete backup.
Alternately, a user can manually select a set of files from a
directory and copy the selected files to a storage device. While
this alternative may allow usage of a smaller memory device that
does not require installation and set-up steps, manually selecting
files is time-consuming. Also, manually selecting files creates the
possibility of an accidental omission of some files.
What is needed, therefore, is the ability to selectively backup
digital content in a manner that is both inexpensive and
convenient.
SUMMARY
An exemplary emulation component is provided for use between a
storage device of a first device type and a data source running an
operating system. Here, the emulation component comprises logic
configured to return a response to an inquiry from the data source,
where the response indicates that the storage device is of a second
device type belonging to a class of device types that, upon
connection to the data source, will trigger the operating system to
automatically launch an application stored on the storage device.
As discussed further herein, devices belonging to this class are
referred to herein as "auto-launch devices."
Another exemplary emulation component is provided for use between a
data source and a first storage device. In an exemplary embodiment,
the emulation component comprises logic configured to represent a
first logical storage area of the first storage device as an
auto-launch device, and logic configured to represent a second
logical storage area of the first storage device as a second
storage device that includes a writable data storage medium. In
some embodiments, the emulation component also comprises logic
configured to receive auto-launch device commands from the data
source that are addressed to the auto-launch device, translate the
auto-launch device commands into first storage device commands, and
send the first storage device commands to the first logical storage
area. Here, the emulation component also comprises logic configured
to receive first storage device responses from the first logical
storage area, translate the first storage device responses into
auto-launch device responses, and send the auto-launch device
responses to the data source. In some embodiments, the emulation
component further comprises logic configured to receive second
storage device commands from the data source that are addressed to
the second storage device and send the second storage device
commands to the second logical storage area, and logic configured
to receive second storage device responses from the second logical
storage area and send the second storage device responses to the
data source.
The emulation component can be configured, in some embodiments, to
represent the first logical storage area as a CD drive, or a
Digital Video Disc (DVD) drive. Likewise, in some embodiments the
emulation component can be configured to represent the second
logical storage area as a HDD, a Secure Digital (SD) memory card, a
COMPACTFLASH.RTM. (CF) memory card (trademark of the CompactFlash
Association), a memory stick, or other storage device including a
writable data storage medium. It will be appreciated that the logic
of the various exemplary emulation components described herein can
be implemented through software, hardware, firmware, or a
combination thereof.
A data backup system is also provided. In an exemplary embodiment
the data backup system comprises a communication interface, a first
storage device including a writable data storage medium, and an
emulation component in communication between the first storage
device and the communication interface. In this embodiment the
emulation component is configured to represent the first storage
device as an auto-launch device. The emulation component is also
configured to receive auto-launch device commands from a data
source that are addressed to the auto-launch device, translate the
auto-launch device commands to first storage device commands, and
send the first storage device commands to the first storage device.
The emulation component is further configured to receive first
storage device responses from the first storage device, translate
the first storage device responses into auto-launch device
responses, and send the auto-launch device responses to the data
source. Here, the communication interface can comprise a USB
communication interface or a FIREWIRE (trademark of Apple Inc.)
communication interface, for example. The first storage device can
comprise, for instance, a HDD, a SD memory card, or a CF memory
card. Also, the emulation component can represent the first storage
device as a CD drive or a DVD drive.
In some of the embodiments, the data backup system further
comprises a removable storage device interface to provide
communication between the emulation component and a removable
storage device. Accordingly, the emulation component of the data
backup system can be further configured to receive removable
storage device commands from the data source, the removable storage
device commands addressed to the removable storage device that is
engaged with the removable storage device interface, and send the
removable storage device commands to the removable storage device.
The emulation component can also be further configured to receive
removable storage device responses from the removable storage
device that is engaged with the removable storage device interface
and send the removable storage device responses to the data
source.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a data backup system
according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a data backup system
according to another exemplary embodiment of the present
invention.
FIG. 3 is a flow-chart representation of a method for backing up
data files on a data source according to an exemplary embodiment of
the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a flow-chart representation of a process by which a data
backup system can be recognized by the data source as being two
attached devices according to an exemplary embodiment of the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A data backup system is provided for personal, as well as
commercial, applications. The data backup system of the present
invention allows files to be selectively copied from a data source,
such as a personal computer, to a storage device according to some
criteria such as file type. For example, the system can be
configured to backup audio files having recognized music file
extensions such as .mp3 and .wav, or image files having recognized
image file extensions such as jpg, .pct, and .tif. The data backup
system, according to some embodiments, stores a backup application
that automatically launches when the data backup system is
connected to the data source. The backup application can be
configured to require little or no user input to perform the backup
process.
The data backup system can take a number of different forms. One
example is an appliance that includes both the backup application
and sufficient storage capacity for copied files. Another example
is a device that includes the backup application and an interface
for connecting sufficient storage capacity in the form of a storage
device such as an external HDD or flash memory device. In both
examples, the system includes an emulation component. The emulation
component makes the portion of the data backup system that contains
the backup application appear to the data source as if it were of a
particular device type. More specifically, the backup application
portion of the data backup system is represented as being one of a
class of storage devices referred to herein as "auto-launch
devices." Emulating an auto-launch device allows the data backup
system to take advantage of automatic execution capabilities of
certain operating systems so that the backup application will
automatically be executed when the device is connected to a data
source running the operating system.
FIG. 1 provides a schematic representation of an exemplary
embodiment of a data backup system 100 connected to a data source
110 by a connection 120. The data source 110 can be, for example, a
personal computer (PC), a MACINTOSH computer (MAC)(trademark of
Apple Inc.), or a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) on which data
resides. The data source 110 can also comprise a server, a settop
box, a television, a cellular telephone, a Smartphone, a digital
still camera or video camera, a scanner, a digital music or video
player, a game console, or a Personal Video Recorder (PVR).
Preferably, the data source 100 includes an operating system (OS),
such as WINDOWS XP (trademark of Microsoft Corporation), that
includes an automatic application launching function, as discussed
in more detail elsewhere herein. Other suitable operating systems
include MAC OS (trademark of Apple Inc.), PALM OS (trademark of
Palm Computing, Inc.), Linux, and UNIX (trademark of The Open
Group), for example. The connection 120 between the backup system
100 and the data source 110 can be essentially any data transfer
mechanism such as an optical or electrical cable, a wireless link,
or a network connection. The connection 120 is shown with a dashed
line in FIG. 1 to indicate that the connection 120 need only be
temporary.
As shown in FIG. 1, the backup system 100 comprises a communication
interface 130, an emulation component 140, and a storage device 150
that includes a first logical storage area 160 and second logical
storage area 170. The communication interface 130 allows the data
source 110 to communicate with the emulation component 140 of the
backup system 100 according to a communication protocol. The
communication interface 130 can be, for example, USB, FireWire, or
a wireless interface such as. infrared, Bluetooth, or WiFi.
It will be appreciated that the backup system 100 can include a
plurality of communication interfaces 130, of the same or of
different types, to accommodate multiple and/or different data
sources 110. Depending on the type of communication interface 130,
the communication interface 130 can include a communication port
through which the connection 120 to the data source 110 is made.
For instance, a USB communication interface 130 can include a USB
communication port, and a FireWire communication interface 130 can
include a FireWire communication port. Alternatively, the
communication interface 130 can include a wireless antennae or an
infrared transmitter/receiver unit for sending and receiving
infrared signals.
The storage device 150 comprises a writable data storage medium and
can be, for example, a HDD that has been partitioned into at least
two logical storage areas. In this instance, each logical storage
area is a partition of the HDD. Suitable HDDs for the storage
device 150 include 1.0 inch, 1.8 inch, 2.5 inch, and 3.5 inch hard
drives having capacities of 20 to 60 gigabytes (GB) or more. Other
suitable storage devices 150 that include rewritable media are
solid-state memory devices, such as SD memory cards and CF memory
cards. The storage device 150 can also be an optical device such as
a CD drive or a DVD drive. The writable data storage medium within
such an optical storage device 150 can be either a write-once
medium, such as a Compact Disc-Recordable (CD-R), or a rewritable
medium such as a Compact Disc-Rewritable (CD-RW).
The storage device 150 can also be implemented by two different
devices, one dedicated to each of the two logical storage areas
160, 170. For example, the first logical storage area 160 can be
implemented by a CD drive with any CD media, while the second
logical storage area 170 is implemented by a HDD. It will be
understood that the device types, form factors, and capacities
provided herein are merely exemplary and not intended to be
limiting.
In some embodiments, the backup system 100 further comprises a
memory device interface 190 that allows the first and second
logical storage areas 160 and 170 to communicate with the emulation
component 140. In these embodiments the memory device interface 190
is of a type that is appropriate to the type of storage device 150.
For instance, an INTEGRATED DRIVE ELECTRONICS (IDE) (trademark of
Western Digital) interface 190 can be used with an IDE HDD storage
device 150, and a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) interface
190 can be used with a SCSI HDD storage device 150. Alternately,
the memory device interface 190 can be a SD memory card host
interface where the storage device 150 is a SD memory card. The
interface 190 can also be a wireless interface such as infrared,
WiFi, and Bluetooth. The memory device interface 190 can be
implemented in the backup system 100 by an integrated circuit (IC)
chip or through the use of discrete components. The memory device
interface 190 is integrated into the memory device 150, in some
embodiments. It will be appreciated that in the embodiments noted
above that employ multiple storage devices 150, the backup system
100 can include multiple memory device interfaces 190 as
appropriate.
The first logical storage area 160 represents a logical area of the
memory device 150 that is meant to be inaccessible to the user and
safe from accidental erasure. The first logical storage area 160
can contain, for example, a backup application, system files,
drivers, and other setup and configuration software. The first
logical storage area 160 is represented to the data source 110 by
the emulation component 140 as being an auto-launch device. As used
herein, auto-launch devices are those devices that will trigger the
automatic execution functionalities of certain operating systems,
such as the AutoRun function of the Microsoft Windows operating
system. Examples of device types that will trigger AutoRun of
Windows include CD and DVD drives.
The second logical storage area 170 represents a logical area of
the memory device 150 that is dedicated to storing backed-up data.
Accordingly, the emulation component 140 represents the second
logical storage area 170 to the data source as being a device type
that includes a writable data storage medium. The second logical
storage area 170 can be represented as a HDD, CF, or a SD memory
card, for example. In some embodiments, the second logical storage
area 170 can be represented as the same type of device as the
storage device 150. In other embodiments the second logical storage
area 170 can be represented to be a different device type than the
storage device 150.
The emulation component 140 provides certain functions to the
backup system 100 and can be implemented through logic such as
software, firmware, hardware, or any combination of these. It will
be understood that within an embodiment different functions of the
emulation component can be implemented with different forms of
logic. Thus, while one function of the emulation component 140 is
implemented through firmware, for example, another function can be
implemented through software.
In one embodiment, the emulation component 140 includes an IC. For
example, the emulation component 140 can be implemented using
software, firmware, hardware, or some combination thereof,
incorporated in a USB controller chipset. In some USB-specific
embodiments, the emulation component 140 implements some or all of
a number of layered industry standards. Examples of such standards
include USB Specification--Revision 2.0, USB Mass Storage
Class--Bulk Only Transport--Revision 1.0, SCSI Primary Commands--3
(SPC-3), SCSI Block Commands--2 (SBC-2), Multimedia Commands--4
(MMC-4), and AT Attachment with Packet Interface--6 (ATA/ATAPI-6).
It should be noted that in some embodiments the emulation component
140 may only support subsets of the commands of these industry
standards.
Functions provided by the emulation component 140 can include
representing the first logical storage area 160 as an auto-launch
device and representing the second logical storage area 170 as a
device including a writable data storage medium. Accordingly, the
data source 110 will recognize the data backup system 100 as two
attached devices when connected to the backup system 100. It should
be noted, however, that in some embodiments the contents of these
two devices are not accessible to the user of the data source but
are accessible by the backup application which is configured with
appropriate application programming interface (API) calls. This
serves to protect the contents of both the first and second logical
storage areas from accidental modification or erasure. To access
the backed up data from the second logical storage area 170 in some
embodiments, the data backup system 100 restores the data to the
data source or copies the data to yet another device. In other
embodiments, the virtual device that represents the second logical
storage area 170 is accessible to the user while the virtual device
that represents the first logical storage area 160 is not
accessible. In these embodiments, the user is allowed direct access
to the contents of the second logical storage area 170 but not the
first logical storage area 160.
Another function that can be provided by the emulation component
140 is translating commands and responses between formats, such as
between the command sets for a HDD and a CD drive. In this way,
when the data source 110 sends a command to the backup system 100
addressed to the auto-launch device (as the first logical storage
area 160 is represented to be), the emulation component 140
translates the command from an auto-launch device format to the
appropriate format for the storage device 150, before sending the
command to the first logical storage area 160. Similarly, responses
from the first logical storage area 160, in the format of the
storage device 150, are translated into the auto-launch device
format and sent to the data source 110 so the response appears to
have come from an auto-launch device.
It should be noted that translation between CD drive and HDD
formats is but one example, and in some embodiments the emulation
component 140 can implement one or more analogous format
translations. As used herein, a "storage device command" refers to
a command in an appropriate format for the specific storage device,
and a "storage device response" refers to a response in the same
format. As a specific example, an "auto-launch device command"
refers to a command in an appropriate format for a specific
auto-launch device, and an "auto-launch device response" refers to
a response in the same format.
Still another function that can be provided by the emulation
component 140 is to pass commands and responses between the data
source 110 and the second logical storage area 170. When the
commands received by the emulation component 140 are already in the
proper format for the storage device 150, the emulation component
140 does not have to translate commands or responses. Here, the
emulation component 140 receives commands from the data source 110
addressed to the device that includes the writable data storage
medium and passes the commands to the second logical storage area
170. In a similar fashion, responses are relayed back to the data
source 110 without translation. It will be appreciated that the
emulation component 140 can be configured to represent the second
logical storage area 170 as being of a different type of device
than the memory device 150. In these embodiments, the emulation
component 140 is configured to translate between the formats of the
memory device 150 and the device type of the representation of the
second logical storage area 170.
FIG. 2 provides a schematic representation of another exemplary
embodiment of a data backup system 200 that, like the data backup
system 100, is connected to the data source 110 by the connection
120. Also like the data backup system 100, the backup system 200
comprises the communication interface 130, and the emulation
component 140. In this embodiment, the backup system 200 also
comprises storage device 210 including a writable data storage
medium and an appropriate memory device interface 220. Since the
writable data storage medium of the storage device 210 only needs
to include enough memory capacity to store a backup application and
the like, the backup system 200 can be of a fairly small form
factor, such as pocket-sized or a dongle, or be embedded in some
other device configuration such as a dock or a cradle.
The backup system 200 can also comprise a removable storage device
interface 230 to allow a removable storage device 240, including a
writable data storage medium, to be attached externally to the data
backup system 200 by way of a communication port 250. The removable
storage device interface 230 provides communication between the
emulation component 140 and the removable storage device 240. In
some embodiments the removable storage device interface 230 is
configured to support a removable device with an integrated medium
such as a flash memory device or a HDD. In other embodiments, the
removable device can be one that accepts removable media, such as a
CD drive.
It will be appreciated that the removable storage device interface
230 is optional as the copied files do not necessarily have to be
stored to a memory device that is associated with the data backup
system 200. Alternately, the backup application can direct copied
files to be stored to an existing internal or external drive of the
data source or to a networked drive. In still another option, the
backup application can send copied files over an Internet
connection to be stored at a web-based storage facility.
It should be noted that the backup systems 100, 200 can include a
display or other visual indicator such as a light emitting diode
(LED) to show files being copied, for instance, though some
embodiments do not include the display to lower the cost and
increase the durability of the backup systems 100, 200. The backup
systems 100, 200 can run off of a battery, an external power source
(e.g., an AC power outlet), or off of power supplied by the data
source 110. In some embodiments, the connection 120 is a cable that
is part of the backup system 100, 200. The backup systems 100, 200
can also be configured as a cradle designed to receive the
removable storage device 240 or the data source 110 where the data
source 110 is a consumer electronic device such as a digital
camera.
FIG. 3 is a flow-chart representation of an exemplary method 300
for backing up data files from a data source. The method 300
comprises providing 310 a data backup system including a storage
device storing a backup application, connecting 320 the data backup
system to the data source to automatically launch the backup
application, and selectively copying 330 the data files from the
data source.
Providing 310 the data backup system can include providing data
backup system 100 or data backup system 200, for example. In those
embodiments in which the data backup system 200 is provided,
providing 310 the data backup system 200 can include, for example,
connecting a removable storage device 240 to the communication port
250. Where the removable storage device 240 is, for example, a SD
or CF memory card, connecting the removable storage device 240 to
the communication port 250 can include inserting the memory card
into the communication port 250. Alternately, where the removable
storage device 240 is a HDD, connecting the removable storage
device 240 to the communication port 250 can include coupling the
communication port 250 to the removable storage device 240 with a
connection such as a cable or a wireless link.
With reference to data backup systems 100, 200, connecting 320 the
data backup system 100, 200 to the data source 110 can include
coupling the communication interface 130 to the data source 110
with the connection 120. Connecting 320 the data backup system to
the data source also includes the data source recognizing the data
backup system as two new devices. For example, some operating
systems periodically query unused ports for newly attached
hardware. An exemplary process by which the data backup system 100,
200 can be recognized by the data source 110 as being two attached
devices is described below with respect to FIG. 4.
Connecting 320 the data backup system to the data source
automatically launches a backup application. Operating systems that
include an automatic execution function, such as the AutoRun
capability of the Windows operating system, can execute
applications that are resident on an auto-launch device. Here, the
automatic execution function of the data source's operating system
recognizes the backup application as an application to be launched,
and automatically launches the backup application to run on the
data source.
Connecting 320 the data backup system to the data source can also
comprise translating commands and responses between device formats
as communications are passed between the data source and the data
backup system, as discussed above with respect to the functionality
of the emulation component 140. Thus, for example, CD read commands
sent to the backup system 100 are translated to HDD read commands
before being sent to the first logical storage area 160.
Selectively copying 330 the data files from the data source can
include running the backup application on the data source, where
the backup application is configured to search one or more storage
devices associated with the data source. The backup application
can, in some embodiments, search directories of internal storage
devices, external storage devices, and network drives that are
accessible to the data source. The backup application selectively
copies files to a storage device including a writable data storage
medium such as the second logical storage area 170 or the removable
storage device 240.
The backup application selects files that meet certain predefined
criteria, such as file type (e.g., jpg) or type of content (e.g.,
audio files), and in some embodiments only copies the files that
have not previously been copied. Other examples of types of content
include e-mails, business application data (e.g., Accpac and Simply
Accounting files), digital video files, ebook files, contacts
files, calendar files, text files, tasks files, settings files,
bookmark files, and password files. Selectively copying 330 the
data files can also include searching for files that meet the
predefined criteria by searching e-mail attachments and files
embedded within other files, such as compressed files within a zip
file. The backup application can, in some embodiments, create a
file path or directory structure on the writable data storage
medium of the data backup system to indicate the location where a
copied file was located on the data source.
It will be appreciated that according to the method 300, user
involvement can be reduced to simply making a physical connection
between a data backup system and a data source. While user
involvement can be reduced to one or more simple operations, it
will be appreciated that options can be provided to the user
through a graphical user interface (GUI) provided by the backup
application on a display device of the data source. In this way the
user, if desired, can customize the backup process by specifying
search criteria such as a type of content or a file type to be
copied. Additionally, the user can limit the scope of the backup
process by drive, directory, folder, file type, file size, or
date/time stamp, or the user can deselect a type of content or a
specific file, drive, directory, or folder such as a temporary
folder or an Internet Explorer directory.
As noted, selectively copying 330 the data files from the data
source can include running the backup application on the data
source. In addition to the above functions of the backup
application, the backup application can also be configured to
perform the following functions as part of selectively copying 330
the data files. For example, the backup application can wait a
predetermined length of time and then repeat the backup process so
long as the backup system remains connected to the data source 110.
The backup application can also perform a self-diagnostic routine
at predetermined intervals. The backup application can also be
configured to wait for a predetermined period of time before
performing an automatic backup to provide the user an opportunity
to customize the backup process. Additionally, the backup
application can be configured to selectively copy 330 the data
files only upon a user command, rather than automatically. The user
command can be entered through the GUI on the data source, or can
be provided by a button or switch on the data backup system.
Alternately, the backup application can be configured to
selectively copy 330 the data files whenever a removable storage
device 240 is connected to the communication port 250.
Copying 330 the data files, in some embodiments, includes
determining whether the data source has been previously paired with
the data backup system (e.g., the data source was previously backed
up with the data backup system). This can include, for example,
searching for a marker that was previously left on the data source,
or comparing a marker saved on the data backup system with an
identifier of the data source such as a volume label. The marker
allows the backup application to recognize the data source. In some
embodiments, the backup application determines a course of action
based on whether the data source has been previously paired with
the data backup system and if so, whether the data backup system
already stores data associated with the data source. For instance,
the course of action can be an automatic full or incremental backup
of the data source, a restoration of backed up data to the data
source, or a query to the user to make a selection between these or
other alternatives.
FIG. 4 is a flow-chart representation of an exemplary method 400 by
which the data backup system, once detected, becomes recognized as
two attached devices by the data source. Although this exemplary
method 400 is described with reference to USB protocols, it will be
understood that other protocols such as FireWire follow analogous
processes. The method 400 comprises the data source enumerating 410
the data backup system, followed by the emulation component of the
data backup system representing 420 two Logical Unit Numbers (LUNs)
through initialization.
Enumerating 410 the data backup system is performed to identify the
newly attached hardware, in this case the data backup system, and
how the hardware is configured for communication. Enumerating 410
comprises the data source assigning a unique device number and
querying the data backup system for a device descriptor. The
emulation component responds by providing a device descriptor to
the data source. Enumerating 410 further comprises the data source
setting an address for the data backup system. Once the address has
been set, the data backup system obtains communication frames
assigned to the address. Enumerating 410 can also comprise the data
source requesting and receiving detailed device information from
the data backup system, specifically the emulation component, such
as class, subclass, and protocol.
Enumerating 410 also comprises the data source starting an
appropriate USB mass storage class driver, and the USB mass storage
class driver requesting the number of LUNs from the data backup
system with a "GET MAX LOGICAL UNIT NUMBER" command. Enumerating
410 also comprises the data backup system, and more specifically
the emulation component, responding to the "GET MAX LOGICAL UNIT
NUMBER" command by communicating two LUNs to the data source.
Representing 420 the two LUNs through initialization comprises the
emulation component receiving a number of SCSI commands directed to
each LUN from the data source. The emulation component handles each
LUN independently. The emulation component responds to those SCSI
commands that it recognizes, and generates a standard error
condition in response to SCSI commands that are not recognized.
Each SCSI command, and any errors that are generated, are typically
handled before the next SCSI command is issued to either LUN. In
will be understood that the sequence of SCSI commands sent to the
LUN representing a storage device including a writable data storage
medium can be different from those sent to the LUN representing an
auto-launch device. Additionally, SCSI commands, or a sequence of
SCSI commands, may be repeated multiple times by the data source,
and sequences of SCSI commands directed to the two LUNs can be
interlaced.
For both LUNs, the sequence of SCSI commands starts with the USB
mass storage class driver issuing an "INQUIRY" command to identify
the device type. The emulation component returns a response to
represent a storage device, such as second logical storage area 170
(FIG. 1), as a storage device that can include a writable data
storage medium. A response of "0.times.00," for example, indicates
that the storage device is a HDD. Similarly, the emulation
component returns a response to represent a storage device, such as
first logical storage area 160 (FIG. 1) as an auto-launch device. A
response of "0.times.05," for instance, indicates that the
auto-launch device is a CD drive. The storage device that can
include a writable data storage medium can additionally be marked
as either "removable" or "non-removable," while the auto-launch
device can be marked as "removable." After this point, the sequence
of SCSI commands for the two LUNs diverge. It will be appreciated
that the order of SCSI commands in the sequences described below
are exemplary, and the order of the SCSI commands will vary with
different data sources. Also, in some instances one or more of the
SCSI commands provided below are omitted, and/or other SCSI
commands are included.
An exemplary sequence of SCSI commands directed to the storage
device that includes the writable data storage medium continues
with a "READ FORMAT CAPACITIES" request that the data source uses
to determine whether the writable data storage medium is
unformatted. Ordinarily, the medium of the storage device being
represented is already formatted, and the emulation component
responds accordingly. Otherwise, the data source will attempt to
format the medium of the storage device. Next, the data source
issues a "READ CAPACITY" request to identify the capacity of the
writable data storage medium and its block size, and the emulation
component returns this information as well. A "READ(10)" command is
issued to read the first block on the writable data storage medium.
The first block has a logical block addressing (LBA) value of zero
(LBA=0) and contains the Master Boot Record (MBR), which itself
contains the partition table for the writable data storage medium.
The emulation component responds with the contents of the requested
block.
A "MODE SENSE(6)" command is then used to extract the capabilities
of the storage device including the writable data storage medium,
such as whether the storage device contains a disk cache. The
emulation component replies as appropriate to the capabilities of
the storage device being represented. Another "READ(10)" command is
issued to recover the first block of the file system that contains
the root directory. The first block of the file system can located
at LBA=0x3F, for example, but can vary depending on the particular
type of file system being represented. The emulation component
returns the first block of the file system. Finally, the data
source can issue a "TEST UNIT READY" request before reading the
full contents of the root directory, etc. Here, the emulation
component responds affirmatively so that the data source will
regard the storage device that includes the writable data storage
medium as operational. The data source thereafter issues more
read/write requests as necessary.
An exemplary sequence of SCSI commands directed to the auto-launch
device continues with a "GET CONFIGURATION" request to obtain
information about the capabilities of the auto-launch device and
its ability to read or write different types of optical media,
e.g., CD-R, CD-RW, Digital Video Disc-Recordable (DVD+R), DVD-RW,
etc. The emulation component responds with capabilities that are
appropriate for the auto-launch device being represented to the
data source. This can be followed by a "READ CAPACITY" request to
discover if there is a medium present in the auto-launch device.
The emulation component is configured to respond by failing the
initial attempt. In response, the data source will issue a "REQUEST
SENSE" command to access the extended error information. In the
reply, the emulation component sets the "Sense Key" to "UNIT
ATTENTION," and sets the "Additional Sense Code" to "POWER ON." The
data source will then repeat the "READ CAPACITY" request, and the
emulation component will respond with a capacity, such as the size
of the first logical storage area 160 (FIG. 1).
To learn what types of status change events the read-only media
device supports, the data source issues an initial "GET EVENT
STATUS NOTIFICATION" request, and the emulation component responds
with a set of coded status fields. The data source can then repeat
the "GET EVENT STATUS NOTIFICATION" request, with a field set to a
status entry to be checked. If the operational status field is
enabled, for example, the emulation component will respond with an
operational change event, and a status code representing a feature
change. This response can trigger the data source to issue further
"GET CONFIGURATION" request(s), to discover which feature, if any,
has changed.
The data source can also issue a "MODE SENSE(10)" request for Page
Code (0x2A), known as the "MM Capabilities and Mechanical Status
Page." The emulation component will respond with information that
is typical for a simple auto-launch device that includes read-only
support for CD-R and CD-RW media. This echoes the information that
is returned in response to the "GET CONFIGURATION" request.
At this point, the data source can issue a "TEST UNIT READY"
command. This triggers two sequences of request/response events in
the emulation component that can support the automatic execution
functionality of different operating systems. The commands in the
two sequences can be interlaced, and the events will remain pending
until the emulation component has passed through all of the
expected states. As outlined below, both sequences are typical for
an operating system such as Windows XP. The sequences, below, do
not account for the number of times that a request, or a sequence
of requests, can be repeated. Also, the particular sequence of
events can vary depending on. the type and version of the operating
system executing on the data source. Additional or substitute
commands can also be issued.
The first sequence comprises a series of "TEST UNIT READY" commands
from ,the data source to the auto-launch device. The emulation
component is configured to fail the first request. The data source
then sends a "REQUEST SENSE" command to obtain the extended error
information, and the emulation component sets the sense key to "NOT
READY," with an additional sense code of "MEDIUM NOT PRESENT." The
data source then repeats the "TEST UNIT READY" command, which the
emulation component again fails. The data source again sends a
"REQUEST SENSE" command and the emulation component responds with a
sense key set to "UNIT ATTENTION," and an additional sense code of
"MEDIUM MAY HAVE CHANGED." All subsequent "TEST UNIT READY"
commands are typically responded to without error.
The second sequence comprises a series of "GET EVENT STATUS
NOTIFICATION" requests from the data source to the auto-launch
device. Following the first "TEST UNIT READY" command that triggers
the first sequence, the data source issues a "GET EVENT STATUS
NOTIFICATION" request with the operational change field enabled.
The emulation component responds with an operational change event
and a status code representing a feature change. On the following
"GET EVENT STATUS NOTIFICATION" request the media status field is
enabled. The emulation component responds with a media event, a
status code representing new media, and a flag set to indicate that
the media is present. On all subsequent "GET EVENT STATUS
NOTIFICATION" requests where the media status field is enabled, the
emulation component responds with a media event and with the media
present flag set, but the status code will not indicate new media.
In the case where a "GET EVENT STATUS NOTIFICATION" request is
issued, and the expected status field is not enabled, the emulation
component responds as appropriate for the current state of that
event.
At the end of either or both of these sequences, the data source
can send a "READ TOC/PMA/ATIP" request to read the Table Of
Contents (TOC) from the medium of the auto-launch device. The TOC
includes information on the number of tracks on the medium, and the
start position of each. The emulation component responds with
entries for a default configuration, namely, a single data track
that starts immediately after the "lead-in" area. The default TOC
declares that the first block of data on the medium starts at
address zero. The position of a last track is fixed in the
emulation component and represents the space allocated to the data
on the auto-launch device, such as the backup application.
When the data source makes a read request of the auto-launch
device, the emulation component automatically translates the
logical address into a corresponding physical address of the
storage device (e.g., first logical storage area 160 (FIG. 1)) that
is being represented as the auto-launch device. In addition, where
the block sizes of the storage device (e.g., a HDD partition) that
is being represented as the auto-launch device (e.g., a CD drive)
are different, the emulation component also translates the required
amount of auto-launch device data into the appropriate number of
blocks on the storage device.
After the method 400 has been completed, the data source recognizes
one LUN as an auto-launch device and another LUN as a storage
device including a writable data storage medium and is properly
configured to communicate independently with each. Thereafter,
selectively copying 330 the data files from the data source can
commence. As described above, this can include the operating system
of the data source automatically launching a backup application
from the LUN being represented as the auto-launch device, and
writing selected data from the data source to the LUN being
represented as the storage device including a writable data storage
medium.
In the foregoing specification, the invention is described with
reference to specific embodiments thereof, but those skilled in the
art will recognize that the invention is not limited thereto.
Various features and aspects of the above-described invention may
be used individually or jointly. Further, the invention can be
utilized in any number of environments and applications beyond
those described herein without departing from the broader spirit
and scope of the specification. The specification and drawings are,
accordingly, to be regarded as illustrative rather than
restrictive. It will be recognized that the terms "comprising,"
"including," and "having," as used herein, are specifically
intended to be read as open-ended terms of art.
* * * * *
References